Sir Michael Parkinson was an English television presenter, broadcaster, journalist, and author.
Michael Parkinson Biography
Michael Parkinson was on March 28, 1935, in Cudworth, United Kingdom. He celebrated his 88th birthday in March this year (2023) before he died on August 16, 2023
He developed a passion for journalism at a younger age, was consistent throughout his career, and became one of the most sought-after journalists
After 2 years in the British army, he worked as a journalist for the Manchester Guardian (later renamed the Guardian) before joining the Daily Express in London.
Michael Parkinson Career
He started television as a current affairs presenter and reporter for both Granada and the BBC before he was recruited to present his self-titled show on BBC One.
Parkinson’s TV career spanned over seven decades which includes hosting ITV’s TV-am breakfast show, Give Us a Clue, and BBC One’s Going For a Song, among others.
He had several interviews on his long-running chat show. His high-profile guests included; Sir Billy Connolly, Muhammad Ali, Sir Elton John, Madonna, and Dame Helen Mirren, among others
Parkinson presented his television talk show ‘Parkinson’ from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows and programs both in the UK and internationally.
He introduced the first Parkinson show in 1971 on BBC television with American jazz singer, Marion Montgomery his first guest. The show ran initially for 11 years and spanned hundreds of episodes.
Parkinson returned to the BBC in 1998 for another run of the show and interviewed more than 2,000 guests in total. He also hosted a Sky Arts series called Michael Parkinson: Masterclass from 2012 to 2014.
Sadly, the celebrated broadcaster and talk show host, Michael Parkinson has died. He passed away at the age of 88 on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, his family has confirmed.
A statement from his family said: “After a brief illness Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family. The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.”
According to his family, Parkinson died after a brief illness, However, the cause of his death has not been made public at the time of writing.
He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013 and received the “all-clear” from doctors in summer 2015 following two years of treatment.
Among those paying tribute is Comedian and broadcaster Stephen Fry wrote on Instagram;
“Loved that man. Having grown up watching him interview greats, my first appearance was impossibly thrilling for me. The genius of Parky was that unlike most people (and most of his guests, me included) he was always 100% himself. On camera and off. “Authentic” is the word I suppose. For one of the shows I was on with Robin Williams, a genius of unimaginable comic speed and brilliance. Now they’re both gone. One should get used to the parade of people constantly falling off the edge, but frankly one doesn’t. So long #parky”
At the time of this report, the family was planning his final funeral arrangement and the details are yet to be finalized. We will keep you updated.
Michael Parkinson Height & Weight
Michael Parkinson’s height and weight are unknown at this time of writing.
Michael Parkinson Parents
Michael Parkinson was born in Cudworth, United Kingdom to his parents; Freda Rose Parkinson (mother) and Jack Parkinson (father).
Although he’s famous, there’s no information regarding his parents as their name, date of birth, age, and occupation are unknown at this time of writing.
Michael Parkinson Wife
He was married to Mary Parkinson before he died in 2023. The love birds were married for over 60 years as they tied the knot on Saturday, 22nd August 1959.
Mary Parkinson, originally known as Mary Agnes Heneghan was born on July 16, 1936, in Doncaster, United Kingdom. She’s a British journalist and television presenter.
Mary presented the 1970s magazine program Good Afternoon, produced by Thames Television. Amongst other TV work, she also frequently appeared as a panelist on Through the Keyhole.
Michael Parkinson Children
He is survived by his three sons; Michael Parkinson Jr (born in 1967), Nicholas Parkinson (born in 1964), and Andrew Parkinson (born in 1960)
The late broadcaster shares all three children with his wife, Mary Parkinson. The couple also have three grandchildren; Honey Carrill Parkinson, Felix Parkinson, and Sofia Parkinson.
Michael Parkinson Siblings
He never shared any information regarding his siblings hence we can’t state whether or not he’s the only child of his parents. There are no records about that.
Michael Parkinson Net Worth
Before he passed away, he had an estimated net worth of about $18 million. He earned such an amount from his career as a television presenter, broadcaster, journalist, and author.
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